1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of laying parts on a leaf pattern and a method of displaying a leaf pattern, for use in desktop publishing (DTP) applications in which images including characters are applied to electronic pages by computer processing.
2. Description of the Related Art
For producing a printed product containing pages, e.g., a book of many pages in a certain appearance, according to a DTP process, it is necessary for the operator to first determine a leaf pattern indicating how many pages are to be assigned to a single large leaf. Then, based on the total number of pages of the printed product, the operator determines the total number of leaf patterns required. The number of leaf patterns required can easily be determined by dividing the total number of pages of the printed product, e.g., "n" if the individual pages range from 1st to nth pages, by the number of pages contained in one leaf pattern.
Thereafter, the operator applies page layout data to each individual page on the first leaf pattern. The page layout data comprises a large amount of data, i.e., "heavy" data, as it contains images. The page layout data applied to individual pages are referred to as individual page data or page data.
Then, the operator applies parts data representative of register marks, a back signature, a back mark, a date of production, and a producer's name, etc. to the first leaf pattern, thus completing first imposed pattern data. Hereinafter, the imposed pattern data means a combination of leaf pattern data, a predetermined number of individual page data, and parts data. If the book has colored contents, then a predetermined number of individual page data for four color plates of C (cyan), M (magenta), Y (yellow), and K (black) are applied to the first leaf pattern, and parts data include color bar data indicating those color plates with rectangles surrounding letters "C", "M", "Y", "K".
Similarly, the operator applies individual page data and parts data to the remaining leaf patterns which range from the second leaf pattern to the nth leaf pattern, thereby completing second through final imposed pattern data.
The first through final imposed pattern data thus generated make up book data (printed product data), which are stored in a storage unit such as a hard disk or the like. The term "book" used herein means not only books, but also printed texts which are folded, including pamphlets, brochures, booklets, etc.
After the book data is completed, the operator may find it necessary to correct parts data in order to correct the shape of a part present in any arbitrary one of the determined leaf patterns.
The book data has such a data structure that the leaf pattern data, the individual page data, and the parts data are integrally combined with each other, i.e., are closely put together inseparably. It is highly difficult to identify the position or storage area of the storage unit where the parts data to be corrected is stored. As a result, it takes the operator a considerable time to correct parts, e.g., change a date of production, a producer's name, the content of a back signature, the shape of a back mark, or the shape of a color bar.
According to the conventional process of laying parts on leaf patterns, as described above, it is quite time-consuming for the operator to correct parts data because the amount of data that are closely put together inseparably is large.